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| General election: Liberal Democrats promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit at manifesto launch – live news | General election: Liberal Democrats promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit at manifesto launch – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Lib Dems to promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit; prime minister reveals national insurance manifesto pledge | Lib Dems to promise £50bn windfall from stopping Brexit; prime minister reveals national insurance manifesto pledge |
| “Yes, what was that?” said Boris Johnson, affecting bafflement when asked about the Conservative party’s Twitter feed masquerading as a fact-checking service during the debate on Tuesday between the party leaders. | |
| The prime minister appeared to be suggesting his own party’s official communications channels had nothing to do with him; he argued it was not for him to “invigilate absolutely everything” on the internet. | |
| Read my colleague Rowena Mason’s report from the Tory campaign trail: | |
| A complaint from the Labour Party over Sky News’ decision to brand this contest the “Brexit Election” has been rejected by the media regulator, Ofcom. | A complaint from the Labour Party over Sky News’ decision to brand this contest the “Brexit Election” has been rejected by the media regulator, Ofcom. |
| Labour are keen to fight the election on other policies such as the NHS, arguing that the presence of on-screen Brexit election branding showed bias. Ofcom rejected this claim in a letter sent on Tuesday afternoon, telling the party: | Labour are keen to fight the election on other policies such as the NHS, arguing that the presence of on-screen Brexit election branding showed bias. Ofcom rejected this claim in a letter sent on Tuesday afternoon, telling the party: |
| Some hasty revisions have been made to Boris Johnson’s equally hasty announcement of a national insurance (NI) contributions cut (see 2.11pm). | Some hasty revisions have been made to Boris Johnson’s equally hasty announcement of a national insurance (NI) contributions cut (see 2.11pm). |
| At first, the prime minister said the Tories were going to increase the threshold at which most workers begin paying NI to £12,000. | At first, the prime minister said the Tories were going to increase the threshold at which most workers begin paying NI to £12,000. |
| Later, speaking to ITV News, he said the initial increase would actually only be to £9,500, while a subsequent rise to a new figure of £12,500 was described as an “ambition”. That first change to NI, he wrongly claimed, would represent a “£500 cut for every working person”. | Later, speaking to ITV News, he said the initial increase would actually only be to £9,500, while a subsequent rise to a new figure of £12,500 was described as an “ambition”. That first change to NI, he wrongly claimed, would represent a “£500 cut for every working person”. |
| The latest version of the policy released by Tory HQ this evening is a lifting of the NI threshold from £8,632 to £9,500 in 2020/21, which the party now says will actually only be worth £100 per worker – or less than £2 per week – and an “ultimate ambition” to increase it to £12,500 at some point in the future. | The latest version of the policy released by Tory HQ this evening is a lifting of the NI threshold from £8,632 to £9,500 in 2020/21, which the party now says will actually only be worth £100 per worker – or less than £2 per week – and an “ultimate ambition” to increase it to £12,500 at some point in the future. |
| Waheed Rafiq, the Lib Dem candidate in the Birmingham Hodge Hill constituency, has been suspended from the party for making “clearly and unambiguously antisemitic” comments on social media. | Waheed Rafiq, the Lib Dem candidate in the Birmingham Hodge Hill constituency, has been suspended from the party for making “clearly and unambiguously antisemitic” comments on social media. |
| The timing is potentially awkward for the Lib Dems, coming on the same day as the party’s manifesto launch. | The timing is potentially awkward for the Lib Dems, coming on the same day as the party’s manifesto launch. |
| A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said: “At 3pm Waheed Rafiq Hodge Hill PPC (prospective parliamentary candidate) was suspended from the party. | A Liberal Democrat spokeswoman said: “At 3pm Waheed Rafiq Hodge Hill PPC (prospective parliamentary candidate) was suspended from the party. |
| “The public posts on his Facebook and Twitter account from 2010 to 2014 are clearly and unambiguously antisemitic and bring the party into disrepute and are also of material disagreement with the fundamental values and objectives of the party.” | “The public posts on his Facebook and Twitter account from 2010 to 2014 are clearly and unambiguously antisemitic and bring the party into disrepute and are also of material disagreement with the fundamental values and objectives of the party.” |
| Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The only response to the disgusting antisemitism exhibited by the Liberal Democrat candidate for Birmingham Hodge Hill is to immediately drop him as a candidate for the constituency. | Marie van der Zyl, the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, said: “The only response to the disgusting antisemitism exhibited by the Liberal Democrat candidate for Birmingham Hodge Hill is to immediately drop him as a candidate for the constituency. |
| “We call on the Liberal Democrats to act now and ensure he is expelled after he is dropped as a candidate.” | “We call on the Liberal Democrats to act now and ensure he is expelled after he is dropped as a candidate.” |
| Earlier, the prime minister claimed a new pledge to increase the national insurance threshold to £12,000 was part of a plan to primarily help “working people” (see: 2.11pm). | Earlier, the prime minister claimed a new pledge to increase the national insurance threshold to £12,000 was part of a plan to primarily help “working people” (see: 2.11pm). |
| But does it stack up? Here’s our factcheck, put together by my colleague Richard Partington: | But does it stack up? Here’s our factcheck, put together by my colleague Richard Partington: |
| Listen in to this week’s Politics Weekly, as my colleague Heather Stewart is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Paul Harrison and Will Jennings to pick apart the ITV debate. Plus, Rowena Mason calls in from the Tory battlebus and Peter Walker reports from the Green party’s manifesto launch: | Listen in to this week’s Politics Weekly, as my colleague Heather Stewart is joined by Ayesha Hazarika, Paul Harrison and Will Jennings to pick apart the ITV debate. Plus, Rowena Mason calls in from the Tory battlebus and Peter Walker reports from the Green party’s manifesto launch: |
| Jo Swinson has launched her party’s manifesto at an event in Camden. She said the Lib Dems were the only ones who could take a significant number of seats from the Conservatives and deprive them of a majority. In a speech to activists, she highlighted the party’s policies on the environment, education and childcare. | Jo Swinson has launched her party’s manifesto at an event in Camden. She said the Lib Dems were the only ones who could take a significant number of seats from the Conservatives and deprive them of a majority. In a speech to activists, she highlighted the party’s policies on the environment, education and childcare. |
| You can read our report on the manifesto here. | You can read our report on the manifesto here. |
| She said: | She said: |
| She wraps up: “The future of our country is in our hands ... so if you want to stop Boris Johnson and stop Brexit then vote Liberal Democrat. If you want a £50bn bonus to improve your life, vote Liberal Democrat ... If you want to work with our friends to tackle the climate crisis, vote Liberal Democrat. If you want to build a brighter future, vote Liberal Democrat.” | She wraps up: “The future of our country is in our hands ... so if you want to stop Boris Johnson and stop Brexit then vote Liberal Democrat. If you want a £50bn bonus to improve your life, vote Liberal Democrat ... If you want to work with our friends to tackle the climate crisis, vote Liberal Democrat. If you want to build a brighter future, vote Liberal Democrat.” |
| The biggest investment in the manifesto is for parents, says Swinson, something she is very proud of. They will help parents going back to work by providing 35 free hours of childcare a week, for 48 weeks a year. | The biggest investment in the manifesto is for parents, says Swinson, something she is very proud of. They will help parents going back to work by providing 35 free hours of childcare a week, for 48 weeks a year. |
| “We are the only party that can win a significant number of seats from the Conservatives and deprive them a majority,” says the Lib Dem leader. | “We are the only party that can win a significant number of seats from the Conservatives and deprive them a majority,” says the Lib Dem leader. |
| She says her party has committed £11bn over the next five years for improvement of mental health services – investing more money in talking therapies and increasing the number of mental health nurses. | She says her party has committed £11bn over the next five years for improvement of mental health services – investing more money in talking therapies and increasing the number of mental health nurses. |
| Swinson says hers is the only party with a credible plan to tackle the climate emergency. “We will not leave our party with a boiling planet,” she says. | Swinson says hers is the only party with a credible plan to tackle the climate emergency. “We will not leave our party with a boiling planet,” she says. |
| Stopping Brexit will give them the money to reverse schools cuts, she says. They will “put our money where our heart is”, she adds. | Stopping Brexit will give them the money to reverse schools cuts, she says. They will “put our money where our heart is”, she adds. |
| Boris Johnson is deluded if he thinks he can negotiate a new trade deal with Europe by the end of 2020, she says. | Boris Johnson is deluded if he thinks he can negotiate a new trade deal with Europe by the end of 2020, she says. |
| “Boris Johnson only cares about Boris Johnson and he’ll say whatever he needs to to stay in Number 10. This is a man who lied to the Queen,” says Swinson. | “Boris Johnson only cares about Boris Johnson and he’ll say whatever he needs to to stay in Number 10. This is a man who lied to the Queen,” says Swinson. |
| On to Jeremy Corbyn, she says the Labour leader won’t be upfront about what he thinks on Brexit. | On to Jeremy Corbyn, she says the Labour leader won’t be upfront about what he thinks on Brexit. |
| “I’d like you to welcome my friend and our candidate to be the next prime minister,” says Sanders. “The voice of a new liberal generation.” | “I’d like you to welcome my friend and our candidate to be the next prime minister,” says Sanders. “The voice of a new liberal generation.” |
| Swinson says Corbyn and Johnson only know how to rehash ideas from the past – “whether it’s the 1970s or the 1870s”. | Swinson says Corbyn and Johnson only know how to rehash ideas from the past – “whether it’s the 1970s or the 1870s”. |
| She says the UK has wasted the last three-and-a-half years talking about Brexit. “There is no form of Brexit that would be good for our country,” she says, whether it is done by Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn. | She says the UK has wasted the last three-and-a-half years talking about Brexit. “There is no form of Brexit that would be good for our country,” she says, whether it is done by Boris Johnson or Jeremy Corbyn. |
| We’ve now got Matt Sanders, the party’s candidate in Hampstead and Kilburn. “People are responding to Jo’s simple call – stop Brexit,” he says. “Friends, Brexit must be stopped.” | We’ve now got Matt Sanders, the party’s candidate in Hampstead and Kilburn. “People are responding to Jo’s simple call – stop Brexit,” he says. “Friends, Brexit must be stopped.” |
| Jeremy Corbyn likes remain votes but he doesn’t want us to stay in the EU, says Sanders. He says that millions of people looked at Corbyn and Johnson last night and they didn’t want to choose either. | Jeremy Corbyn likes remain votes but he doesn’t want us to stay in the EU, says Sanders. He says that millions of people looked at Corbyn and Johnson last night and they didn’t want to choose either. |
| Daisy Cooper, the party’s candidate in St Albans – not Camden – is opening the event. She says that while St Albans voted to stay in the EU, the constituency has a “hard Brexit” MP in Conservative Anne Main. “You guys are going to have to work really, really hard over the next few weeks so give yourselves a round of applause and have a great night,” she says. | Daisy Cooper, the party’s candidate in St Albans – not Camden – is opening the event. She says that while St Albans voted to stay in the EU, the constituency has a “hard Brexit” MP in Conservative Anne Main. “You guys are going to have to work really, really hard over the next few weeks so give yourselves a round of applause and have a great night,” she says. |
| We’re just waiting for the Liberal Democrat manifesto launch to begin in Camden. You can watch a live feed at the top of this blog. | We’re just waiting for the Liberal Democrat manifesto launch to begin in Camden. You can watch a live feed at the top of this blog. |
| Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker is there. | Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker is there. |
| Hundreds of students and under-18s have been registered to vote without their knowledge after a council IT blunder, according to the Sun. | Hundreds of students and under-18s have been registered to vote without their knowledge after a council IT blunder, according to the Sun. |
| Around 635 students were wrongly registered by Plymouth city council, and polling cards were mistakenly sent to up to 247 under-18s. The council, which was criticised over similar errors in May, said “tagging issues” on its internal systems had caused students and young people to automatically be added to its voting roster. Since 2014 it has been illegal to register anyone but yourself to vote. | Around 635 students were wrongly registered by Plymouth city council, and polling cards were mistakenly sent to up to 247 under-18s. The council, which was criticised over similar errors in May, said “tagging issues” on its internal systems had caused students and young people to automatically be added to its voting roster. Since 2014 it has been illegal to register anyone but yourself to vote. |
| Johnny Mercer, the candidate for Plymouth Moor View, wrote on Twitter: | Johnny Mercer, the candidate for Plymouth Moor View, wrote on Twitter: |
| The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation thinktank, Torsten Bell, has been looking at the Liberal Democrat election manifesto plans. | The chief executive of the Resolution Foundation thinktank, Torsten Bell, has been looking at the Liberal Democrat election manifesto plans. |
| More from the Guardian’s deputy political editor, Rowena Mason. | More from the Guardian’s deputy political editor, Rowena Mason. |
| Labour’s John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has commented on the Conservatives’ national insurance plans. | Labour’s John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, has commented on the Conservatives’ national insurance plans. |